Cannon Hill Common is a public park in the

London Borough of Merton The London Borough of Merton () is a borough in Southwest London, England. The borough was formed under the London Government Act 1963 in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton ...

. It is situated near

Raynes Park Raynes Park is a residential suburb, railway station and local centre near Wimbledon, London, and is within the London Borough of Merton. It is situated southwest of Wimbledon Common, to the northwest of Wimbledon Chase and to the east of New M ...

and

Morden Morden is a district and town in south London, England, within the London Borough of Merton, in the ceremonial county of Greater London. It adjoins Merton Park and Wimbledon to the north, Mitcham to the east, Sutton to the south and Worcester Pa ...

. It is also the location of a Local Nature Reserve and the Paddock Allotments.

History

Cannon Hill Common is not

common land Common land is land owned by a person or collectively by a number of persons, over which other persons have certain common rights, such as to allow their livestock to graze upon it, to collect Wood fuel, wood, or to cut turf for fuel. A person ...

. It was but part of the former extensive holdings of Merton Priory, founded in the 12th century and later part of Cannon Hill Estate. The land was farmed for many centuries until Cannon Hill House was built, probably shortly after 1762. The ornamental lake was created in the 18th century and is a remnant of the former landscaped grounds of Cannon Hill House. By 1880 the house was empty and the surrounding land farmed. The house was sited at the top of the common at the edge of the pond and woodland that was first designated a bird sanctuary in 1927.A Short History of Cannon Hill Common
(video documentary) by William Hobbs, 2012 During its heyday in the nineteenth century a steeple chase of local gentry used to take place from Raynes' farm at West Barnes to Cannon Hill lake and back along what is today Blenheim Road. The Cannon Hill estate was well stocked with pheasants, partridges, hares and rabbits and entertained shooting parties.Jowett, Evelyn M. An Illustrated History of Merton and Morden Published Merton and Mordon Festival of Britain Local Committee (1951), page 108 Local house builder Mr Blay offered of land to

Merton and Morden Urban District Merton Urban District (1907–1913) and Merton and Morden Urban District (1913–1965) was an urban district in Surrey, England. It was formed in 1907 from the parish of Merton and was expanded in 1913 to take in Morden. The district was abolished ...

Council for the creation of Cannon Hill Common. The Council agreed to purchase 53½ acres at a cost of £17,610. The Park officially opened on the 9 April 1927. The pavilion that once stood on the common housed a holiday play scheme in the early seventies and a cafe in the late 1980s. In 2008 the pavilion was destroyed in a fire started by arsonists. The remains were demolished and plans to rebuild it by Merton Council have come to nothing.

References

External links

Friends of Cannon Hill Common
* ttps://www2.merton.gov.uk/environment/openspaces/parks/parks_in_the_morden_area/cannon_hill_common/cannon_hill_common_history.htm History Of Cannon Hill Common London Borough of Merton Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Merton Local nature reserves in Greater London Nature reserves in the London Borough of Merton {{london-geo-stub